PALA IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR: Even though it was considered round eighteen in the series, the first round of the outdoor season comes with great anticipation. With adjectives like “stacked”, “unprecedented” and “deepest field ever”, the races at Pala lived up to all the hype. The battles for the lead of each race were as intense as those for twenty-first place. Every racer knows the value of double points as they look ahead to the final three SMX rounds in September, so they are all fighting for positions. For the Flo Motorsports backed Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha team the first round was a success on many levels:
COTY SCHOCK #37: Coty’s debut in the 450 class came with some excitement. It has been a while since he has competed in the outdoor series on the big bike, so the learning curve is a bit steep. He rode very well in the first moto, finishing fifteenth aboard his Flo Motorsports equipped Yamaha. In the second moto he unfortunately tangled with another rider and hit the deck. Fortunately, he is fine and will line up in Hangtown to fight again. He ended the day twentieth overall, which is not indicative of his ability, but shows that as he starts closer to the front, better results will come. Apart from the leaders, the results were all over the board between motos in that class meaning that on any given Saturday, Coty can have a breakout session.
MAX VOHLAND #92: It had been well over a year since Max Vohland raced an outdoor event, so it is pretty amazing that he managed a nineth place overall finish on the day at Pala. Moto math played in his favor with scores of 12-10 = 9 respectively on the day. It is well known that training and racing are two different animals, but Max aboard his Flo Motorsports backed Yamaha is navigating those waters efficiently. Each week we expect him to start a bit closer to the front and raise the bar on his results. Hangtown is close to his home so coming into some familiar territory will bring the comfort of a track he is familiar with along with family and friends in attendance. The “local boy” influence will definitely play in his favor as he will get into town early and enjoy the comforts of home. Max can stack points going from Supercross to Motocross and will start to work his way into the top ten overall. Training this week was intense on Tuesday and Wednesday to get ready for this weekend knowing that there are two more west coast rounds before we head east into our stomping grounds.
ALEX FEDORTSOV #784: Crazy as the 250 class is, Alex on his Flo Motorsports equipped bike managed to complete all of the laps (did not get lapped), learn the track and absorb what it is like to race professionally. His rookie debut was a total success – scoring points and coming home healthy and ready to go at Hangtown. Each race will continue to build confidence and awareness in the class, so he becomes more comfortable racing near the front. When asked what his first race was like, he replied (smiling): “Dude, those guys are battling everywhere, every lap. That was gnarly”. The team rallied around Alex’s effort partially because they remember what their first time was like and partially because they want to see him do well. We will hear more about the #784 as the season moves on – the kid is good.
MOTO SCOUTING COMBINE:
JESSON TURNER #257: You may recall Jesson’s name from finishing third on the podium at the Daytona SMX Next round and then getting the holeshot at the Salt Lake City championship on his way to a fifth-place finish. Jesson is excellent on the moto tracks and is looking forward to this weekend at Hangtown. Mixing in the Combine events with his desire to do well at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National later this summer is a dream come true for him. His ability to learn a track and stick to his game plan has made Jesson a top prospect for the series.
There is a lot of talk about the heat his coming weekend, but that is fine with us. We train in the heat and humidity of South Carolina and have a comprehensive nutrition and hydration program in place at the facility. This weekend is just another opportunity to apply the things learned to support the team in these conditions both for the riders and the crew.
A brief reset in the season will lead to a new YouTube series coming out this summer. Thank you to all of our partners and sponsors for their continued support as we head into round two – I mean nineteen!