A LOOK BACK AT EAST RUTHERFORD: Rain, no rain, rain, no rain – It turned out great in East Rutherford last week as the track crew did a great job considering the uncertain forecast. By race time, the track was in mint condition and ready for action. Max Vohland was quick in qualifying with a seventh-place time overall, which is a good precursor to the rest of the night. A fourth-place finish in his heat set him up with a good starting spot for the main event. Devin Simonson was in the B group for practice and qualifying and sent it to the top of the board. In his heat race he finished a very respectable third place. Pretty amazing for only a short time on the bike. People got a glimpse of what we see in Devin every day. In the main event – Max finished in the sixth position, moving him up two spots to seventh in the overall championship. A marketable improvement with two rounds left. Devin was the star of the show in New Jersey. A good start in the main and a nineth place finish were a pleasant surprise from the cagey veteran. It was one of those situations where we could explain a top ten or a top twenty considering his short time on the bike. He provided us with the best-case scenario by qualifying good, racing straight into the main and finishing in the top ten. It says a lot about him, his bike and his team.
ROLLING INTO PITTSBURGH: Racing at a new venue is always exciting. Pittsburgh has a long history of supporting sports teams like the Steelers and the Penguins and expectations of supporting Supercross will fall into that same category. There are literally millions of people who can now make this the closest Supercross race they can attend, and it will certainly be exciting. Add to that the addition of the SMX Next Championship and these fans are going to get a fantastic show. With only two rounds left for the East Coast riders, it is time to “send it”.
MAX VOHLAND #92: All things considered; Max has done a wonderful job for the hand he was dealt this season. Looking back to round one and trying to manage the rear brake contraption proved to be a pivotal moment in the season. The team rallied around him to make improvements to the bike, and it was “game on” from that point forward. Except for the mud race in Foxborough, Max accomplished some steady and consistent finishes in all of his other races. Managing to get up to seventh place in the overall standings is an accomplishment in itself – but there is more in the tank. In a sport that is very much “what have you done for me lately”, it is easy to forget what Max had to go through to get to this point if the season and his career. The expectations are ramping up for these final two rounds and with Pittsburgh being the last Est only round, now is his time to shine.
DEVIN SIMONSON #88: Now that Devin has set the bar pretty high last week in East Rutherford, he must stay focused and work to improve his overall performance. It is not pressure that comes from the team, but pressure that comes from within to show what he can do. As the most transparent team on the circuit, it is well known that Devin is on a Supercross only contract. He knows full well that if he stays in the conversation with another amazing performance, doors may open for him in a variety of avenues. Now that is pressure! Going into Pittsburgh, you will see that Devin and the team keep it light and fun. It is no secret that our group performs better when they are having fun, and it is clearly an easier way to operate. Keep an eye on the #88 this weekend – it is going to be exciting to watch.
The SMX Next Championship will take place in Pittsburgh this weekend. The season has been a roller coaster for our guys finishing so close to the main step they can taste success. Now all the marbles are on the line at this “winner take all” finale, it is time to perform. Alex Fedortsov, Ryder Malinoski and Jesson Turner have all qualified through their top five finishes in the previous four rounds and are now poised to show what they are considered the best of the next crop of racers. The main event is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST on Peacock and is one race you will not want to miss.
These recent YouTube videos are awesome as the team continues to perform at the highest level. Check out this one from Philadelphia.
https://youtu.be/4Xtaw3uCEHo?si=FwMwOJJw0Wsytk5v